The Heavy Crown
by AidansQueen
Summary: A series of drabbles and one-shots that may or may not be related to one another. Mostly Klaroline with a few Klefaroline.
1. Heavy is the crown

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or make any money from any of it, and all of it belongs to those who created The Originals and The Vampire Diaries.

* * *

The sweet smell of flowers and warm heat waft across the front porch of the old southern home. It was magnificent; Caroline had to hand it to him. The neatly polished and painted wooden floorboards beneath her feet creaked as she walked, and she wondered secretly if they were left that way intentionally. It was a simple defense, an easy way to alert any vampire in the vicinity that they had visitors before that person could even ring the doorbell. When she rings the doorbell she listens for the sound of footsteps. When nothing happens she frowns, certain that this house was his. A lady down in the French quarter had directed her this way, a woman with kind hazel colored eyes and honey colored blond hair.

_Cami_ had been her name, she spoke fondly of Klaus and Caroline wondered if coming here was a mistake after all. When she'd left Whitmore she'd intended to come here as a vacation only, a desire to visit the one man who's been haunting her dreams and annoying her to no end without even being present to do so. She needed to get away from that place, needed to leave behind the memories of Tyler breaking her heart at the Halloween dance, the memories of Silas threatening to kill her mother if she didn't tell him where Katherine was.

Fortunately for her, Katherine was a damn good liar.

Silas hadn't even bothered to check if _Elena_ was really _Elena._ He'd just left without a word, disappeared into the darkness and left them both shaken.

That had been way to close.

She'd left Katherine with Damon and fled Whitmore College for a week; decided she needed to hear some good jazz music and catch up with a long lost….whatever he was.

They were complicated she supposed, she couldn't necessarily say they were friends but she couldn't call them lovers either. When she thinks of Klaus she feels the faint brush of butterflies in her stomach, that nervous jitter that a woman gets when they're around a man they know is capable of completely breaking their heart. She'd tried not to let Klaus get to her, she'd fought his pretty words and gifts but in the end he left her alone with her thoughts and she started to understand. The soft sound of a whisper and the creak of wood warned Caroline of Rebekah's approach before she'd even saw her, heard the other woman standing just a foot behind her. There was also the scent of werewolf in the air and for a moment she thought of Tyler before crushing that hope entirely.

"Please tell me you're not here because the Salvatore brothers have screwed up again," Rebekah begins as Caroline turns to face her, "Because quite frankly we've got plenty on our plate as it is."

When Caroline's eyes fall upon Hayley their gazes lock and they stare at each other for several seconds, Caroline's gaze drifting down to the bags full of baby clothes and the faintest hint of a bump under Hayley's maternity shirt.

"No," Caroline says as she finds her voice quickly, clears her throat so that she doesn't stammer nervously or continues to stare at Hayley.

"Well that's good I suppose," Rebekah nods thoughtfully as she unlocks the front door, "Then why are you here?"

"I came to talk to Klaus," Caroline states with a little more confidence, determined not to allow the other blond vampire to intimidate her.

"He's busy," Rebekah says flatly as Hayley steps into the house past Rebekah, "and he doesn't have time for flaky baby vampires like you."

"Is Hayley…" Caroline asks as she gazes down at the bags in Rebekah's hands.

"Yes…you see my brother's busy right now and doesn't need to be distracted by your whining," Rebekah tells her and Caroline can tell this woman was trying to run her off, trying to make her leave with just a hint of desperation in her voice, "he's got a daughter on the way and a city to run, now get off my property."

"A _daughter_?" Caroline chokes out and stares wide eyed at the other blond vampire. In a flash Rebekah looks concerned and Hayley is audibly gasping in the background. There is panic in the air and Caroline wonders why.

"Hush," Rebekah snarls, "I _shouldn't_ have…_keep your mouth shut_!"

"No you shouldn't have," Klaus cuts in as he steps up beside Caroline, the warm heat of his hand against her bare shoulder as he curls his fingers over it, "but you did Rebekah despite what I asked of you. Now get this lot in the house while I talk to Caroline."

When they are alone Klaus watches her expectantly, sits down on the porch swing and crosses one leg over the other, tilts his head up as he raises his eyebrows to look at her, "So I take it the Salvatore brothers have sent you to warn be about some impending doom?"

"No," Caroline shakes her head, "I just….well I was just….here…in New Orleans….on vacation…"

She sounded like an idiot and she knew it, not only that she knew she was a terrible liar when it came to Klaus, "and I heard you were here and stopped in to say…Hi…." She pauses and then smiles faintly, "so…Hi."

_Dumbdumbdumbdumddumb!_

She winces at her own inner monologue and watches the amused expression crossing Klaus's features, "Well that's lovely darling but as you can see I'm fairly busy right now…nice of you to stop in but I've got to be going now."

"Well…I," Caroline stops him, catches his arm before he disappears into the house, "were _friends_…you and I."

Rebekah scoffs loudly from somewhere in the drawing room and Caroline suppresses the urge to roll her eyes.

"Caroline," Klaus says as he gently removes her hand, "I realize I might have appeared a tad overly friendly but you understand it was all in good sport..." he smiles at her, that same cold smile he gives to Damon or Stefan or even Elena, whoever was the current pawn on his chessboard, "every good warrior knows they need allies amongst enemies, as the expression goes…_keep your friends close and your enemies closer."_

"Stop it," Caroline shakes her head, "You know why I'm here…you were right…" she sighs heavily, "here I am on your door step." She throws her arms up in gesture and he chuckles, looks amused by the situation, "Caroline I'm flattered but you realize none of it meant anything, it was all a game."

She visibly freezes and meets his cold gaze, sees the blank expression on his face as he realizes why she's really here.

She is such a _fool_.

Heat flushes her cheeks and she looks away, tries to hide the pained expression on her face. "Wow…sorry…I didn't realize…how silly of me," Caroline shakes her head, the blond curls catching in the light breeze and whipping them back over her shoulder as she speaks, "here I thought…I…thought…oh who cares what the hell I think, sorry to bother you."

When she turns to leave she stops, clenches her fist and whips around to look at him, "You know…I wasn't lying that night when you saved me again," she tells him firmly, "anyone capable of love is capable of being saved…and I know you love your siblings…and even if everything you ever said to me was a lie…I still think deep down your lonely…and you want someone to love you," Caroline sighs, "but if you keep pushing people away like this, pushing _me_ away….you will _always_ be alone."

"I think you're missing the point darling," Klaus laughs and Caroline flushes an even brighter shade of pink, his face suddenly gone still and hard as if he were facing down an _enemy_, "I'm not in love with you."

Caroline stares at him as she stares back and then she turns and walks away, shakes her head as she walks back down the drive way towards where her car is parked on the street. She was a fool to have ever come here.

Klaus watches her leave, keeps his eyes keenly on the silver car as it rips down the street and disappears around a corner. He saw the pain in her eyes and the cold way he burned her heart. The only way to keep her safe was to crush her, he could not dagger her and lock her away in a coffin somewhere like he could his siblings. Caroline was a weakness he could not afford, not when he had so much to lose.

He could lose her.

Indulging in love would only lead to disaster, even if his wildest dreams had finally come true and that golden haired angel had come to stand on _his_ doorstep, honored _him_ with her presence and wanted to be there with _him_. He knows they're watching, he knows there are prying eyes and ears all over New Orleans and he couldn't afford to let anyone ever find out about Caroline. So he had no choice, he had to break her heart and drive her off, he had to ensure she'd never come back to New Orleans. The moment Cami had told him a woman named Caroline was looking for him he'd rushed home to find her. He hoped Marcel wouldn't find her first, hoped that none of his minions would get to Caroline before he could.

She was in more danger then she realized.

For now Caroline was a dream, his future queen once he'd won over his kingdom. Now he had other worries to deal with, specifically a pregnant werewolf and his enraged little sister who was currently throwing a fit about the whole damn thing. His sister was protective of him but knew how he felt about Caroline. He'd heard Rebekah try to drive her off long before he'd even gotten there, heard her trying to secretly warn Caroline away from New Orleans. He knew he'd lost Caroline in a split second during his bid for power, knew he'd be giving up many things until the time was right to take them all back. He would not let her think him callous; he would find a way to explain his deception.

He would take Caroline back tonight.

It didn't take much to find her, which bothered Klaus. She would be better equipped to hide as a vampire, not be as vulnerable as a human. She was standing at a gas station on the edge of town pumping gas into her car when he'd appeared on the edge of the woods behind the dimly lit station. It was dark outside, the sun had just set by the glimmer of the street lamps caught his eyes and made them shimmer gold in the darkness. Caroline froze, the smell of fear on her skin as she realized what he was. She edged her gaze upward quickly and frowned at the moon above her head, the Cheshire cat grin in the sky left her bewildered. When she looked back down the wolf still stood there watching and Caroline finished putting gas into her car before walking slowly towards it, hesitant and uncertain.

_This is a bad idea…this is a bad idea…this is a bad idea…_

Her mind kept singing aloud as she kept walking forward as if compelled to do so. Something kept her moving and wouldn't let her stop until she was knee deep in dark green grass and surrounded by trees. The wolf watched her and it was then she noticed what was in his mouth, watched him drop it before running off into the woods. When she finds it nestled amongst leaves and dead grass she lifts the soft leather bound notebook up and runs her fingers over the cover. It is old and worn but beautiful, and as she slides her fingers over the cover she notices the carefully embossed letter _M_.

When she reaches her car she locks the door and sits inside, unties the leather knot and opens it to the first page. What she sees leaves her dumbstruck. They're drawings of her, hundreds of them in different poses and places, some are places she's never even been to and Caroline wonders if he'd drawn these from his dreams. A slip of paper slides out from in between two sketches and it is held closed with an old fashioned wax seal with the letter _M_ stamped neatly into the wax.

When she breaks the seal and reads what it says she just sits there in the dark staring out at the highway.

_For the days I have missed you and for the words I haven't spoken…let this be an understanding._

_I will find you._

_Niklaus-_

Caroline smiles at the words, blinks away the tears in her eyes and hugs the leather bound journal to her chest. When she drives back to Whitmore she smiles the whole way and has never felt this happy in years. This was better than late mornings in bed, listening to the sound of a trumpet player down the street, or be able to finally run her fingers through his hair like she'd itched to do for _ages_, it was better than hearing him say her name _Caroline_ and reveling in the way it rolled off his tongue in that sexy accent of his. It was better than the dreams she had of his skin against hers, his body against hers as he pinned her beneath him.

Ok maybe it wasn't better than sex.

It was still pretty awesome though.


	2. In A Gilded Cage

Disclaimers: I don't own anything or make any money from any of it; all of it belongs to those who created The Vampire Diaries.

This is another random drabble of mine, and I think that is what this story will be about. I have many random drabbles and one-shots which may or may not be related. Originally I wanted to do a separate story called "Out of Place" for all the one-shots I wanted to write that had no real way of fitting into the current time line on TVD or TO. I will warn you all my writing can become aggressively darker and more adult themed depending on my mood. This one in particular is both so if you don't like that sort of thing you might want to skip those couple of paragraphs. I hope you all enjoy this next little one-shot of mine.

* * *

Nordic settlement 991 A.D.

The full moon shone down upon the inferno below like a silent observer, passively watching the death of many. The smell of burning flesh and blood filled the air, crying children burrowed in corners or hidden in alleyways emphasized the sudden hush across the land as the screams of the villagers finally ceased. People scattered here and there, dragging what children they could find up into their arms and hurrying away from the cursed village. Wandering these empty streets now stood a lone figure, a young woman with hair like glittering rays of sunshine and skin as pale as moonlight. Fearfully she searched, every little noise sending her teeth on edge. She knew how dangerous this was, knew that _they_ would be wreaking havoc on anything they came across.

Into the woods she crept, gliding across the ground like a ghost in the darkness. Her human heart beat with fear, her windswept blonde hair wild around her face as she peered into the darkness of the trees for what she was looking for. She heard him finally, heard his whimpers of pain in the darkness and rushed towards the sound, stopped at the sight of him grimacing as she finished tying the last leather cord of his tunic, his right hand outstretched as he bit down hard upon his full supple lips, adding to the blood that was already smeared across his mouth and chin. His outstretched hand trembled as pointed claw like nails slowly eased their way back under his skin, his grunt of agony suppressed only by force of will alone.

"Niklaus," Caroline breaths in relief, freezes when he whips around to face her, his eyes glittering like gold in the darkness. She was caught in the sights of a predator, his Aurelian gaze locked on her innocent face. "I was so worried," she murmured as she stepped forward as he stepped back, turning away from her as he raised an arm as if to shield her from his gaze.

"Stay back Caroline," he warned in a voice rough with pain, "I cannot resist it."

"You won't hurt me," she presses gently, watches him collapse to his knees with a whimper of agony as he clutches his left knee, "I trust you."

"You _know_ what I have done," he spits viciously, blood and sweat running down his face, staining his skin and the faint trace of stubble along his jawline.

"You weren't in your right mind Niklaus," Caroline soothes gently as she eases closer to the wild creature before her, sees the subtle shake in his shoulders as if he feared her very presence.

"I am a monster," he murmurs, "and my mother is a whore."

"You are no monster," Caroline whispers gently, as he turns his gaze up towards her, kneeling at her feet like she were something divine. His eyes were the color of Aurelian in the darkness, blood coated his lips and chin and mouth like paint. Here was the beast inside the man, his wild blond hair disheveled around his face, his teeth bared in pain and hunger. Caroline inhales sharply, reaches out with trembling hands to cup his face as she slides her thumbs across his cheeks, touches the veins sliding across his skin just under his eyelids. He was glorious like this, he was like a fallen angel, a wicked creature of darkness and moonlight dropped to his knees before her like she were the light that would banish the evil from his veins.

"You are beautiful," she whispers gently, bows her head just enough to press her lips to his, "I would touch you, glorious creature."

He is ardent in his response, his arms curling around her thighs as his lips pressing harshly against hers, the taste of blood and honey in both of their mouths. He breaks away from her lips to press his face against her thighs, inhales deeply as she slides her hairs through his hair soothingly, hums softly as she hushes his quiet whimpers and murmurs of anger. Suddenly he tenses and she thinks she has done something wrong. He growls low in his throat as his hands slide higher, long pale fingers curling around her hips in a painful grip. There is the sound of tree branches snapping in the wood behind them and Klaus stands, pulls her against him with such force she grunts against his shoulder. The wolf is in his eyes now, the monster climbing its way out from under the surface as he stares down some unknown opponent in the woods behind them. Before she can say a word they are whipping through the forest so quickly she can scarcely catch her breath.

When they stop they are shrouded in darkness, and it's cold and damp. Caroline's hands fumble against the solid walls around them until Klaus somewhere behind her lights a torch. "You should never have come looking for me Caroline," he scowls at her and walks past, motioning for her to follow him. She follows, worry in her eyes even as her heart threatens to beat its way right out of her chest. "You will remain in the caves till morning, I don't trust my siblings."

"They're looking for you Niklaus," Caroline says sadly.

"I know," he says as he places the torch inside the metal rack on the wall. He catches her by the waist and pulls her against him, smooth's the stray golden locks of her hair away from her face before he showers her with soft kisses, spreads them over her cheeks and her nose, her forehead and her lips. He licks away the tears that slide across her cheeks and hushes her to silence as he cradles her against him; their lips finding each other with passion and desperation. She is afraid to let him go because she is afraid of what they will do to him when they find him. She knows what will happen, tries to hold back her tears even as he presses her against the stone walls and his hands slid under the hem of her gown and tear at her wool stockings with fervor.

He is panting in her ear, his hot breath against her skin as he nips and licks his way across her shoulder leaving a trail of fire in its wake. She knows he has never done this before, has never so much as kissed a woman before and feels honored that he'd chosen her. She wants to stop him, tries to say as much as she feels his warm hands devouring the skin of her thighs to cup her backside as he lifts her off of her feet. He is using to much force she thinks as she grunts against him, has to remind him in breathy whispers to be _gentle_ because she is human and he isn't. He fumbles and growls against her skin when he cannot seem to get her gown off, drops them down to the floor a little harder than he should have and she knows she will have bruises in the morning. He pops the leather cords on the back of her gown one by one like buttons flying off of a shirt, the wool fabric giving away like butter under his pale fingers. His eager mouth finds the warm plump tip of her breast and sucks on it hungrily, his teeth scrapping like the gentle rasp of nails across her skin. He is most certainly a virgin she thinks when she feels the heat of his desire pressing against her core through the fabric of her undergarments, feels his fingers tearing at the material with ferocity. His animal instincts are driving him, the wolf in his eyes as it seeks to claim her as his mate. His mouth and hands find the most private parts of her, searches and explore and tastes until she feels tears burning in her eyes for the pleasure of it all. He was curious she could tell, he had no idea what he was doing but he was a quick learner. When his hot tongue slides across the apex between her thighs she closes her eyes and breaths out slowly, hums aloud as he tastes the pleasure he has brought her. When he shrugs his trousers down off of his hips Caroline can only stare for a moment, doesn't notice his apprehensive expression as he waits for her approval. He is uncircumcised, which doesn't surprise her because they are in the tenth century. When she realizes his nervousness she touches him, feels him stiffen and hold his breath. He has never been touched by a woman before, just as he has never touched a woman either. Slowly she sits up, slides her hands across his body and cups him. He is gritting his teeth now, covers her hands with his own to still her movements.

"I fear I would not be able to continue if you touch me as you do now," he warns her gently, uses his weight to push her back down beneath him slowly. He is cautious as he lifts her legs up onto his waist and leans into her, the tip of him pressing into her center. When he claims her he is panting with the exertion it requires of him not to lose himself in her right then and there.

His weight crushes down atop her but she doesn't complain, whimpers only a little as he takes her slowly at first and then roughly when his hybrid half needs more. She soothes his nerves with gentle whispers and slides the pads of her fingers up and down his arms, has to remind him to be _gentle_, to go _slowly_ because he could hurt her. It doesn't take him long before he fills her with his hot seed and she closes her eyes and breathes out slowly, fights the urge to grin at him because he _is_ a virgin after all and she isn't upset with him because she hadn't quiet gotten there yet herself. He looks slightly humbled by it, a faint blush to his cheeks as he cannot seem to meet her gaze. He shifts his weight and lays his head against her stomach, strokes her hips with his fingers as they lay atop the remains of her gown. He keeps her warm that way, all she has is the chemise that was under her dress and even that is thin and somewhat torn.

He wakes her early in the morning, fills her mouth with his blood and she looks panicked and scared. "I will not watch you wither and die Caroline," he confesses softly, "I will not give you up."

"_No_ Niklaus," Caroline coughs as he presses his wrist against her mouth once more, his hot blood pouring down her throat.

"All will be well," he reassures her with a tender press of his lips to her forehead as he presses his wrist urgently against her mouth, "Kol discovered our blood can heal, it can make you like us."

There was madness in his eyes she'd not seen before. This madness had only existed centuries from now in Klaus, but here was the beginning of it now. Caroline was slowly beginning to understand why Klaus the way he was, why he drove himself crazy trying to keep and protect the people he loves.

He refuses to be abandoned again.

The full moon lasts three nights, and tonight it would be at its fullest. Caroline knew that tonight his mother would put a curse on him and abandon him. Tonight was the beginning of a thousand years of madness. She had to be conscious to try and stop Esther; she had to be there in order to talk her down. She can't fight him though, he is too strong, his weight is too much for her as she is human right now. There is a mad desperation in his eyes as she swallows his burning blood for what seems like hours, coughs and chokes as she tries to fight him off but to no avail. Then with widening eyes she realizes what his last plan is, his last act before her world goes dark around her. He cradles her in his arms and tastes her blood, his teeth gently breaking the tender flesh of her shoulder. Caroline trembles in his arms because she knows better than to fight him now, knows that thrashing in his arms would only trigger his more primal instincts, would make him cling tighter to her. Then he lifts his head with her blood coating his lips and kisses her own, slides his tongue against hers and murmurs apologies as the hand on the back of her neck suddenly jerks her head hard to the right.

When she wakes next she's home and warm in her bed, and as she looks towards the window the full moon glimmers through storm clouds. Her room is dark, and she wipes the tears from her face as she fights not to cry. How many years has it been since she saw Klaus last? She spent the last several years of her life wanting to find him, wishing she'd gone with him. These dreams are maddening, filled with confusion and longing that she can't understand. Something stirs downstairs and she goes down into the hallway to find the source of the noise. Her front door is open and she panics, feels the cold storm wind whipping down the hallway towards her, the smell of fresh rain in the air as the full moon disappears behind the clouds again and leaves flutter in through the door across the hardwood beneath her feet.

Suddenly she is not alone, a hand covers her mouth as an arm encircles her waist as she knows, she knows who this person is without having to even look. He always smells wild, like the woods and musk and time. He smells like sandalwood and ink and paint, and when she cranes her head back to look up at him his Aurelian eyes glitter in the darkness and he smiles that wolf smile at her, the same look he gave her at the decades dance.

He will never let her go now.

He never intended to in the first place.

She knows with startling clarity he'd never intended on leaving her here at all, he was simply giving her a chance to explore the human parts of life that she hadn't experienced yet, and now that college was over it was time for her to come with him. She has no choice, has no fight left in her when he kisses her, his tongue sliding against hers as she pulls back to protest his behavior.

"_Shh_," he whispers like a lullaby in her ear, kisses her right temple before a resounding crack echoes in the hallway and she goes limp in his arms like a ragdoll. He scoops her up and holds her against him as he casually strides out the front door, humming _Everybody loves my baby_ as he disappears into the night, the only sound left behind were the soft rustle of leaves across the pavement as the wind howled in the trees.


End file.
